


Late Night Delivery

by goingtothetardis



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, F/M, Fluff, Home Improvement Store AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 16:39:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7515487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goingtothetardis/pseuds/goingtothetardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma's dryer breaks, and she needs to make a late night trip to Lowe's for a new dryer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Late Night Delivery

**Author's Note:**

  * For [crazygirlne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazygirlne/gifts).



> This is my first Captain Swan fic, and I’m so nervous about posting. But last night my dear friend Crazygirlne sent me a message saying her dryer broke and that she was at Lowe’s dryer shopping at 9PM, and all I could think about was how that would make an amazing AU. So instead of doing all the important Real Life™ responsibilities I have to do today, I wrote this. And hey! It's in time for CS AU Week!
> 
> I'd love some feedback on this fic! :)
> 
> Thanks to LizzyLovegood for the quickie beta.

Emma bangs her hand on top of the dryer, willing it to work, but _of course_ it doesn’t. Just add that to the list of things that are going fan-freaking-tastic in her life this week. It started Monday morning when her coffee spilled all over her brand-new shirt, no thanks to the idiot at Starbucks who didn’t press the lid on her cup all the way, and continued throughout the week, one thing after the other.

And now it’s Saturday night, and her dryer is dead. Completely, one hundred percent dead. 

Emma bangs her head into the wall next to the washer and dryer a few times and sighs deeply. She really cannot afford this right now, especially since her hours just got cut way back at work. But then, she doesn’t really have a choice. Her apartment is too small to set up drying racks, and owning her own appliances is cheaper (and more convenient) than endless trips to the laundromat. Thank God for credit cards. She sighs, however, when she realizes the trip to the coast she’s been saving for will have to be postponed another month or two with this unexpected expense. 

Grabbing her phone from the tiny kitchen table, Emma looks up the closest appliance store and is relieved to find that the Lowe’s a few miles from her place is open until 10PM. It’s 8:15 right now, so that should give her enough time to find a new dryer. She only hopes they deliver this late.

*******

Emma slams the door to her yellow bug and walks into Lowe’s with an excited bounce to her step. She’s loath to admit it to anyone, but she loves home improvement stores. While owning her own place is not even remotely close on her radar (she actually has to hold a dependable job for that), she can’t help but dare to dream a little as she wanders the aisles, eyeing the various shades of paint, light switches, doors, window coverings, and storage options. For a while, she forgets why she’s in the store until she ends up right in front of the appliance section, and her temporary bubble of happiness dissipates into… a reality check.

There are several rows of washer and dryers, in a wide range of price options, and she steers clear of the top-of-the-line machines in favor of the sad-looking budget varieties. Emma carefully inspects each machine and compares costs and ratings online, thankful for the free Wi-fi available to her so she doesn't have to use the data on her phone.

*******

Killian Jones really doesn’t like working at Lowe's, but it’s better than a bloody department store, and it pays the bills until he can get his boat fixed and return to his rather unconventional life as a part-time astronomy professor during the school year and part-time adventurer in distant lands, courting danger in all manner of activities, during the rest of the year.

For whatever reason, they stuck him in the appliance department, and he spends his evenings assisting customers with their refrigerator and washer and dryer needs. Most nights it bores him, but tonight while visiting with his co-worker, Ruby, in the grill department, a gorgeous blonde strides purposefully into the store and disappears into one of the many aisles. Ruby smirks at him when it becomes obvious he’s no longer paying attention to what she’s saying, instead focusing intently on the mystery woman who’s distracted him. 

After a few minutes, he says goodbye to Ruby before wandering back to his department, hoping the woman has a need for something in his area of expertise. Finally, he spots her on the periphery of his department, and he watches her from a respectful distance, noting with curiosity how her shoulders slump when she realizes where she is. But she doesn’t leave, quickly locating the budget washer and dryer options, and pulls her phone out of her back pocket. 

There’s something about the woman that draws him to her, something about the way she holds herself. Proud and confident, yet somehow… guarded, like she’s protecting herself from the world with that red leather jacket.

*******

“How may I be of service tonight?” A charismatic accent from across the pond interrupts her thoughts.

Emma jumps and looks up to find an exceptionally handsome salesman standing in front of her. She can’t help but stare at his messy, dark brown hair, piercing blue eyes, scruffy beard, tight black jeans, and long-sleeved henley, both of which fit his trim body quite… well. Of course, the whole look is ridiculous under the bright yellow and blue vest worn by all employees. 

The dude grins at her, as if he knows the thoughts running through her mind, and she rolls her eyes. Great, just what she needs tonight. A cocky, arrogant salesperson who knows just how good looking he is. Lovely. 

“I just want a dryer,” Emma explains, a bit of steel lining her tone. “Mine broke. I need something that won’t break on me anytime soon and that you can get to my apartment tonight. Are you gonna tell me that’s not possible?” She levels him with a challenging glare, and to her infuriation, the man, _Killian_ according to his name tag, just smirks. 

“Well, miss…” he pauses, raising his eyebrows expectantly. 

“Emma,” she provides with a sigh. 

“Well, _Emma_ ,” Killian rolls her name off his tongue, and no, she refuses to think about how it feels when he says her name. “It’s a bit late for a conventional delivery. But it seems you’re in a moment of great need, so I may be able to arrange something.” 

Emma narrows her eyes at Killian. Is he… mocking her? 

“Are you mocking me?”

His grin just widens. “Aye, lass, I am. But it’s only because you seemed so determined to give me such a challenge at this hour of the day.”

Huffing impatiently, Emma stalks away to the dryer at the top of her list and points at it. “What about this one? It’s on sale and the reviews are good.”

“Aye, it is a dependable drying machine, but unfortunately we don’t have it in stock at the moment. You need a delivery tonight, you said?” A thoughtful look crosses his face.

Emma sighs. “Yes, tonight, if at all possible. Please,” she adds as an afterthought, as if suddenly adding a bit of simple courtesy might help get what she wants.

*******

This Emma is feisty and stubborn, and he’s enjoying the banter back and forth between them. He finds himself interested in his work for the first time in weeks, and he genuinely wants to help Emma find what she needs. It’s clear there’s a reason she needs the dryer tonight, and he knows instinctively that suggesting the use of a laundromat will be purposefully ignored.

However… It’s worth a try. 

“I can get you this washing machine, but it can’t happen until tomorrow,” he explains, and heads to a computer terminal to look at other local stores’ inventory. “It looks like the store on 89th and L Street has this dryer, and I can arrange delivery from that location tomorrow.” 

Emma hesitates. “I just… I really need it tonight.”

At this, Killian quirks an eyebrow, but says nothing as he scrolls through their inventory. He moves to click to the next page when something at the bottom of the page catches his eye. 

“Oh! I don’t know why this never got put on the floor, but we have one dryer left of last year’s Whirlpool budget model. And it’s on sale, forty percent off, which makes it about fifty dollars cheaper than the model you were just looking at.” He tries to keep the smug grin off his face at finding her such a deal, but he can’t really help it. The dryer must have been stuck in some invisible corner of the warehouse for it to still be in stock. 

Emma chews on her bottom lip, and he can’t help but be slightly disappointed by her lack of reaction.

“Okay,” she agrees. “Thank you.” Her eyes flick to his briefly, and he’s surprised he hasn’t noticed their striking shade of green until now. 

But then Killian delivers the news about delivery. “Unfortunately, official delivery ends for customers at 6PM, and even then, same-day delivery is not really possible without a significant extra fee.”

Emma’s shoulders slump, and she opens her mouth to speak. “However,” he interrupts, “I can make an exception just this once, as long as you’re okay with me delivering the dryer. I won’t even charge you the fee.”

He scratches the back of his neck as he waits for Emma’s reply. It’s not exactly company policy, and he’d definitely be breaking a few rules… or more… to use a company truck for a delivery this late. Then again, when has he been one to let a few rules stop him from doing the right thing? From helping someone in need? 

Emma holds his gaze for a long moment, almost as though she’s looking into his soul for something, before nodding. “Okay, sure,” she says, “But you’d better not try anything on me. I catch bad guys for a living and know how to fight. ”

At her warning, Killian smirks. “Sorry, love, but I’ve already been working my charms on you.” He’s pleased to see a light blush cover Emma’s cheeks. “A blush looks good on you, by the way.”

“Will you just,” Emma waves her hand around in front of her and gestures to the computer, “ring me up and let me pay or whatever?” It’s clear she’s flustered, and he tries and fails to hold back a laugh. 

“Alright, alright, love, easy there. I’m just joking. I promise I’ll be a perfect gentleman. I just need to get your address for now, and then we’ll take the paperwork to the front of the store so you can pay.” Typing in her information, he realizes they’re neighbors. Well, they live in the same apartment complex, at least, and he decides to keep that information to himself for the time being. “I get off in fifteen minutes, so after you pay, I’ll procure a delivery truck and meet you at your apartment with the dryer.”

Emma nods, and he finishes the paperwork before heading to the front of the store with Emma.

*******

Gripping her steering wheel tightly, Emma forces herself to calm down. It’s rare someone can get her so worked up and _flustered_ in such a short time, but Mr. Killian Jones (he’d introduced himself properly when he shook her hand at the end of the transaction) seemed to know how to do just that.

With her helpful ability to know when someone was telling the truth or not, Emma feels as though she can trust him, but still… There’s something about him… She shakes her head. It’s just a dryer delivery, and she doesn’t know why she’s allowing herself to overthink this. It’s likely she’ll never see him again, and she can go back to her lonely life of catching bad guys and, well, doing her laundry. 

Perhaps that’s it… She’d _enjoyed_ their bantering, and for the first time in a _long_ time, she’d felt strangely connected to another human being. 

When she arrives home, she quickly tidies up her apartment and realizes she has to move her broken dryer out of the way. Emma wrestles with the awkward appliance, successfully moving it far enough away from the wall so she can at least unplug it. She doesn’t remember it being this heavy when she moved in, and hopes removal of the current appliance is included in the delivery. 

A soft knock interrupts her thoughts, and Emma flings the door open, swallowing hard when she’s faced with the rugged good looks of Killian Jones without his cheesy Lowe’s vest. His unbuttoned henley displays a smattering of dark chest hair, and the shirt clings snugly to his muscular torso. 

_Damn._

She forces her gaze up, and she can tell he noticed her checking him out with the way he stands a little taller and in the way the corner of his eyes crinkle slightly in amusement. Mercifully he keeps his snarky mouth shut, and instead offers a pleasant greeting. “Good evening, Miss Swan. I have a dryer delivery for you.” 

Emma rolls her eyes at his ridiculous formality and invites him inside, biting her tongue when he unabashedly looks around her apartment. “So, uh, do you think you can help me get this out of here?” She points to her old dryer. 

Killian grimaces before nodding. “Aye, the store has an appliance recycling program. Usually there’s a charge, but I’ll see to it that it’s not an issue.”

“Really?” Emma can’t quite figure out why Killian’s so willing to help her. Normally, actions like his put her on red alert, but while she still has some niggling curiosity about him, she doesn’t think his interest in her is malicious. 

Emma and Killian get to work, and in about thirty minutes, her old dryer is gone, and the new dryer sits comfortably in its new home. She opens her washing machine and immediately transfers her damp comforter to the dryer, anxious to test it out. When it turns on smoothly, without the need of a solid kick, she turns to Killian with a smile. 

“Can I offer you a drink? Uh, beer? Coffee? I don’t really have anything else.” She frowns at the lack of options. “I really appreciate you helping me tonight. And I’m sorry…” Emma takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry if I was rude.”

Killian scratches the back of his neck. “Well, I do need to return the truck, since I’m not supposed to be using it right now.” Emma’s heart drops slightly at his words. “But... it just so happens that I live in the next building over. We’re neighbors.” 

Emma looks up sharply at this admission. “Wait, so you knew?” 

Killian has the decency to look sheepish. “Well, when you gave me your address for delivery, I figured it out. But I didn’t think it prudent to mention at the time. Now that you’ve invited me in for a drink, however…” He trails off and raises his eyebrows. 

Interpreting this to mean he’s putting the ball in her court, Emma makes a split second decision. “Well, when you drop off the truck, feel free to stop by again for a drink… _neighbor_.”

“As you wish,” Killian quips before throwing her a wave and leaving her apartment. 

Emma leans both hands on the kitchen counter after Killian leaves. She’s always fought getting close with anyone, making friends, finding a family, because she always gets hurt in the end and trusting people is so _hard_. But maybe… Maybe it’s time to follow her instincts and just… And just let go for a while and give this, whatever it is, a chance.


End file.
